School of Antiochwriter
Who he was
- Proclus was the second successor to Nestorius and became patriarch in 434.
- In 426 he was consecrated Archbishop of Cyzicus in Propontis, but was unable to take possession of his see. Thus he was forced to return to Constantinople where he gained great renown as a preacher.
- In 428 or 429 he delivered a famous sermon in the presence of Nestorius, in which he praised the Virgin Mary as the Theotokos. Nestorius answered with a sermon, in which he warned against this title.
- He did not take an active part in the Council of Ephesus. He had a role in strengthening the unity between the Orientals and St. Cyril achieved in 434.
- He settled the dangerous quarrel about Theodore of Mopsuestia which threatened the Church of Armenia, before it could spread further.
- In 438 he transferred the body of St. John Chrysostom to Constantinople.
- His Sermons witness to his study of rhetoric.
- Most of Prochlus’ sermons deal with dogmatic questions, especially the dogma of the Incarnation.
- In Hom. 3 De dogmate incarnations he states: “There is only one Son because the two natures are not torn asunder into two persons but the adorable plan of salvation (economy) unites the two natures to one Person.” 35
What he wrote
1. Sermons
- Most were delivered on Liturgical feasts as De nativitate (Serm. 4); De circumcisione actavo post nativitatem die (2); In s. theopaniam (7); In transfigurationem (8); In ramas palmarium (9); In s. quintam feriam (10); In s. parasceven (11); and In resurrectionem(12). 2. Orations
- 1,5,6 are devoted to the Blessed Virgin. Oration 18 is a panegyric on St. Paul, 19 on St. Andrew, 20 on St. John Chrysostom and 25 on Clement of Ancyra (a martyr of the 4th century). 3. Letters
- Seven letters deal with the Nestorian controversy. The second letter addressed to the Armenians, is called Tomus ad Armenius. 4. His introduction of the Trisagion into the Liturgy of Constantinople shows his interest in the promotion of worship.